Loading and off-loading items from a flat bed truck presents unique challenges. During the task of loading or unloading such items, it often becomes necessary to access the bed portion of the trailer. Due to the height of the trailer, often the driver or dock worker must climb on the tires or other support structure not intended for such use, which places the safety of the person in jeopardy. It is often also necessary to reach the upper part of the load for placing tarps, straps, like. Frequently, these tasks must occur on uneven ground present at construction sites and the like where a ladder cannot be adequately stabilized. Accordingly, there exists a need for a means to reach the storage area of a flatbed trailer in a safe manner without the disadvantages as listed above. The development of the invention herein described fulfills this need.
There have been attempts in the past to invent accessories for stabilizing ladders. U.S. Pat. No. 7,293,630 issued to Trebec discloses a ladder stabilization device that appears to comprise leg members that are attached to a ladder via a pole-like structure that runs through a ladder laterally. Unfortunately, this patent does not appear to disclose a pair of bracket plates that are bolted onto the rails of a ladder with each bracket plate specifically designed to fit into existing holes on a flatbed truck.
U.S. Patent Application Number 2007/0182194 issued to Wood et al. discloses a ladder that is hingedly connected to a pick-up truck tailgate. Unfortunately, this patent application does not appear to disclose a pair of bracket plates that can be bolted onto the rails of a ladder and that maintain the ladder at a designated distance above the surface of the ground and permit a user to vertically access the bed of a flatbed truck.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,578,666 issued to Miller discloses a portable safety ladder assembly for a truck trailer that appears to comprise a ladder that is attached to the side of a tractor trailer. Unfortunately, this patent does not appear to disclose a pair of brackets specifically designed to fit in the provided holes of a flatbed truck that may be bolted onto any desired section of ladder.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,257,534 issued to Finley appears to disclose a pair of ladder brackets that will secure a ladder to a work vehicle. Unfortunately, this patent does not appear to disclose a pair of bracket plates that are bolted onto the rails of a ladder with each bracket plate specifically designed to fit into existing holes on a flatbed truck.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,923,103 issued to Sauber discloses a bracket for mounting a ladder to a vehicle in a horizontal manner. Unfortunately, this patent does not appear to disclose a pair of ladder brackets that will mount a ladder to a flatbed truck for use of the ladder to access the load present in the bed.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,751,981 issued to Mitchell et al. discloses a detachably-mounted ladder rack that appears to maintain a ladder in a horizontal fashion over the bed of a pick-up truck. Unfortunately, this patent does not appear to disclose a pair of bracket plates that are bolted onto a ladder section to permit the user to access the bed of a flatbed truck.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,483,416 issued to Garcia discloses a telescoping height-adjustable roof-engaging attachment for ladders that appears to comprise elements that grippingly interact with a surface such as a roof. Unfortunately, this patent does not appear to disclose a pair of bracket plates that are bolted onto the rails of a ladder with each bracket plate specifically designed to fit into existing holes on a flatbed truck.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,482,029 issued to Prochaska discloses a ladder that appears to mount on the side of a truck box and that vertically pivots in relation to the truck box with the ground surface. Unfortunately, this patent does not appear to disclose a ladder stabilizer for flat bed trucks that maintains a ladder in a vertical orientation, nor does it appear to disclose a pair of ladder brackets that interact with the holes on a flatbed truck to maintain a ladder elevated from the ground surface.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,989,122 issued to Jenkins discloses a folding ladder for trucks that appears to be permanently mounted behind the cab of a truck. Unfortunately, this patent does not appear to disclose a removable ladder for flat bed trucks that comprises a pair of bracket plates bolted to a ladder section that fit into the holes on a flatbed truck to stabilize a ladder.
U.S. Pat. No. D 289,007 issued to Garcia disclosing a ladder bracket and U.S. Pat. No. D 290,931 issued to Powell disclosing a ladder hook bracket both appear to comprise brackets that may be attached to ladders. Unfortunately, neither of these design patents appear to be similar in appearance to the disclosed device, nor do they appear to comprise bracket plates that may be bolted onto a ladder so as to fit the holes in a flatbed truck.
None of the prior art particularly describes a bracket device enabling secure attachment and access of a ladder thereto a flatbed type trailer that the instant device possesses. Accordingly, there exists a need for a means to reach the storage area of a flatbed trailer in a safe manner that operates without the disadvantages as described above.